This invention relates to a wheelchair restraint system for securing a wheelchair and occupant in a mass transportation vehicle such as a bus, train, and the like, and more particularly to a three-point wheelchair restraint system in which the wheelchair is effectively restrained which may be easily stored out of the way when not in use.
Heretofore, wheelchair restraint systems have been utilized on transportation vehicles using various forms of bars, belts, anchors, and clips, and clamps. However, the problem arises that implementation of these systems is often laborious and time consuming. Typically the bus driver must fold a flip seat, remove belts from an underneath storage, anchor the belts in floor slots, and attach the belts to the wheelchair. After the wheelchair occupant is transported, the bus driver must then stop and remove the belts, anchors, and store the belts. Often, the belts are left out and form a hazard for tripping over. Typically the anchor slots and floor wells used to anchor the belt also present trip and fall hazards.
Other securement systems for wheelchairs have been proposed in the prior art such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,394 wherein a rear barrier is provided to which a lap belt may be fastened for a wheelchair occupant and a pivotal restraint arm is pivotally attached to the underneath portion of a flip seat which may be pivoted to a cantilevered position in front of the wheelchair occupant to restrain the wheelchair. Other various forms of wheelchair securement systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,344,265; 4,455,046; and 4,093,303 using various forms of levers, clamps, bars, straps and the like. However, these systems leave much to be desired in providing a simple restraint system for effectively securing a wheelchair and its occupant wherein the securement system may be readily deployed for use and stored to prevent a hazard to the regular passenger when not in use.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair restraint system for a transportation vehicle which is easy to deploy yet provides a highly effective securement of the wheelchair.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair restraint system which may be rapidly deployed and does not require the presence of structures, intrusive abutments and other hazards in the securement area when the system is not deployed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair restraint system which is restrained by a three-point anchoring system to effectively prevent tipping of a wheelchair and its occupant yet provide rapidly deployable system whose elements may be readily stored when not in use for a nonhazardous securement area.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a simple wheelchair restraint system using a system of retract-able belt assemblies to secure the wheelchair in a quick and easy manner.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a three-point wheelchair restraint system wherein the anchor point structures may be stored out of sight when not in use to provide a safe and easy to use environment.
The above objectives are accomplished according to the present invention by providing a wheelchair restraint system for a mass transportation vehicle having a securement area for a wheelchair which includes at least one flip seat. The system comprises a barrier carried at a rear portion of the securement area disposed generally transverse to the longitudinal vehicle axis. A rear wheelchair attachment assembly is carried by the rear barrier for anchoring the wheelchair to the barrier. The rear wheelchair attachment assembly has at least two rear attachment elements for attachment at two spaced locations to the wheelchair. A personal securement belt assembly secures a seated wheelchair occupant to the wheelchair in the securement area. A front bulkhead extends generally transverse to the longitudinal vehicle axis at a front portion of the securement area; and a front wheelchair attachment assembly anchors the wheelchair to the bulkhead. The front wheelchair attachment assembly has at least two front attachment elements for attachment to two spaced locations of the wheelchair and the bulkhead. The rear wheelchair attachment assembly includes at least one retractor mechanism for exerting an adjustable force on the wheelchair in a first direction along the vehicle axis, and the front wheel attachment assembly includes at least one retractor mechanism for exerting an adjustable force on the wheelchair in a second direction opposite to the first direction so that the wheelchair is secured between the barrier and bulkhead by the rear and front wheelchair attachment assemblies.
Advantageously, the system includes a coupling having a rear connector, and the first and second attachment elements of the rear wheelchair attachment assembly are affixed to the coupling. The retracting mechanism of the rear wheelchair attachment assembly is connected to the rear connector of the coupling. Preferably, the rear wheelchair retractor mechanism includes a rear retractable belt having a retracted and withdrawn configuration, a release for releasing the belt from the retracted and withdrawn configurations, and a crank for manually tightening the belt when tensioned in the withdrawn configuration. The attachment elements of the rear wheelchair attachment assembly include a first rear attachment belt for attachment to a first rear location of the wheelchair and a second rear belt for attachment to a second rear location of the wheelchair spaced from the first location, and the coupling couples the first and second belts to the rear retractable belt. Preferably, the coupling comprises a plate having a center attachment for attachment to the rear retracting belt, and the first and second rear attachment belts being affixed to the plate at locations spaced equal distances from the center attachment.
Advantageously, the front wheel attachment assembly comprising a first front attachment belt for attachment to a first front location of the wheelchair, a second front attachment belt for attachment to a second front location of the wheelchair spaced from the first front location. A first and a second retractor mechanism is provided for retracting the respective first and second belts in a direction to place a tensioning force on the first and second front belts, and the retractor mechanisms include a manual crank for tightening the tensioned first and second belts. The first and second rear attachment belts diverge outwardly from the respective first and second wheelchair locations toward the anchor locations on the bulkhead to effectively prevent lateral tipping. Preferably, the first and second front attachment belts are also inclined downward from the wheelchair to the front bulkhead. The attachment belts diverge outwardly at an angle in a range of about 0 to 15 degrees with respect to the vehicle longitudinal axis, the preferred value being an angle of about 5 degrees with respect to the vehicle longitudinal axis for a standard wheelchair having a 20xe2x80x3 wheel spacing.
In an advantageous aspect of the invention, the front bulkhead includes an extendable anchor member which extends transverse relative to the longitudinal vehicle axis, the anchor member is extendable between a stored position in which the anchor member is stowed with the bulkhead and a deployed position wherein the anchor member is extended from the bulkhead. A first retractor mechanism is carried by the extendable anchor member, and a second retractor mechanism carried by the bulkhead. Preferably, the bulkhead comprises a bulkhead housing, and the anchor member is placed entirely within the bulkhead housing in the stored position. The bulkhead housing includes an opening, and the extendable anchor member moves through the opening when moving between the stored and extended positions. A movable closure is provided for closing the opening of the bulkhead, and the closure forms a track for guiding movement of the anchor member between the stored and extended positions when the closure is open.
The personal securement strap assembly comprises a lap belt affixed near the rear barrier, and a shoulder belt attachable to the lap belt. An adjustable ring tether supports the shoulder belt wherein the ring tether is adjustable to adjust an upper position of the shoulder belt in a vertical direction to accommodate wheelchair occupants of different heights.